Tornadoes · United States · Alabama · 2006
F1 tornado, Belleville, Alabama, January 13, 2006
This F1 tornado ran 1.0 miles across Conecuh County on January 13, 2006, touching down at 10:01 AM CST and reaching 880 yards wide. It killed 1 person, and did $500,000 of property damage.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
F040 to 72 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2113 to 157 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3158 to 206 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5261 to 318 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- F1
- Date
- January 13, 2006
- Touchdown
- 10:01 AM CST (16:01 UTC)
- Path length
- 1.0 miles (1.6 km)
- Path width
- 880 yards (805 m)
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $500,000
- County
- Conecuh County
- Touchdown point
- 31.430, -87.120
- Lift-off point
- 31.430, -87.120
- Record number
- 24
What the Weather Service recorded
An F1 tornado touched down along County Road 15, just south of the town of Belleville. The tornado tracked north northeast crossing U. S. Highway 84 before dissipating just north of the highway. Most of the damage was along both sides of U. S. Highway 84. Three homes were destroyed, and fifteen other structures and eight vehicles were damaged. Numerous power lines and trees were blown town along the track of the tornado. The Belleville fire department station was destroyed. Only one cinder block wall was left standing at the station. One person was killed when a chimney in her home collapsed on top of her. She had just got into the brick home and was putting her purse down when the chimney fell on top of her.
The deaths
1 direct deaths are recorded for this tornado, each with what Storm Data knows of it.
| Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | F | Permanent Home | Direct |
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Mobile, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Jan 13, 5:00 AM CST, 5 hours 1 minute earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 13, 5:00 AM CST, 5 hours 1 minute before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
500 AM CST FRI JAN 13 2006
.SYNOPSIS...A FAST MOVING COLD FRONT IS APPROACHING THE FORECAST
AREA EARLY THIS MORNING...WITH A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT WEST OF THE FORECAST
AREA ACROSS PORTIONS OF MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA.
&&
.SHORT TERM (TODAY AND TONIGHT)...LATEST RADAR LOOPS CONTINUE TO
SHOW STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING TO MERGE ACROSS WESTERN
AND CENTRAL PARTS OF MS. LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE BOTH THE ETA AND GFS
DEPICT A STRONG LINE OF CONVECTION ENTERING THE CWFA FROM THE WEST
BY AROUND 12Z THIS MORNING...THEN MOVING QUICKLY ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. BOTH MODELS INDICATE MOSTLY A STRONG
SQUALL LINE EVENT WITH MUCAPES INCREASING TO AROUND 800 TO 1000 MAX
WITH HELICITIES INCREASING TO AROUND 200 M2/S2 INITIALLY OVER
WESTERN PARTS OF THE FA THEN FALLING TO AROUND 170 M2/S2 BY LATE
MORNING OVER EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE FA. BOTH OBSERVED AND MODEL
SOUNDINGS DEPICT FAIRLY DECENT LAPSE RATES ALOFT SUGGESTING RAPID
DEVELOPMENT WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THE STRONGER CELLS ALONG
THE LINE. WEAK TO MODERATE BOOKEND TYPE VORTICES WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE ALONG THIS LINE DUE TO SOME SHEAR IN THE LOWER LEVELS.
REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL ARE COMING IN FROM MS ATTM...THIS AND STRONG
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WILL LIKELY BE THE MAIN CONCERN WITH ISOLATED
TORNADOES. STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER UPDATES THIS MORNING ON THIS
RAPIDLY DEVELOPING SYSTEM. WILL STRAY ABOUT A DEGREE OR LESS FROM
THE MAV GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS TODAY AND GO WITH THE MAV MINS FOR
TONIGHT. /32
SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...HIGH PRESSURE WILL REBUILD OVER THE
REGION BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WITH CLEAR SKIES AND MUCH COOLER
CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH NEAR NORMAL ON
SATURDAY WITH HIGHS ONLY IN THE 50S...AND THEN WARMING SLIGHTLY INTO
THE LOWER 60S ON SUNDAY. LOWS SATURDAY NIGHT SHOULD BOTTOM OUT ABOUT
5 TO 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL...WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES NORTH OF
INTERSTATE-10. MEANWHILE...ANOTHER STRONG LOW PRESSURE AREA DEVELOPS
OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. /22
.LONG TERM (MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY)...CENTRAL PLAINS LOW LIFTS
NORTHEAST DRAGGING A STRONG COLD FRONT THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PLAINS.
GFS DEVELOPS A SECOND AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS MONDAY NIGHT...WHICH ALSO LIFTS NORTHEAST TOWARD THE OHIO
RIVER VALLEY THROUGHOUT THE DAY TUESDAY. THIS WILL SEND ANOTHER
STRONG COLD FRONT THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA SOMETIME ON TUESDAY.
STRONG TO POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS NEXT
SYSTEM. HIGH PRESSURE WILL ONCE AGAIN DOMINATE THE REGION DAYS 6 AND
7. /22
&&
.MARINE...SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KNOTS CAN BE
EXPECTED LATER THIS MORNING...SHIFTING TO THE WEST THEN NORTHWEST 20
TO 30 KNOTS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 40
KNOTS WELL OFFSHORE AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 6 TO 8 FEET
OUT TO 20NM AND UP TO 10 FEET WELL OFFSHORE OR OUT TO 60NM BY EARLY
TONIGHT. NORTHERLY WINDS AND SEAS WILL BE SLOW TO ERODE DURING THE
DAY ON SAT...DECREASING TO 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER BAYS AND SOUNDS BY
LATE MORNING AND OUT TO 20NM BY LATE AFTERNOON. WINDS AND SEAS WILL
BEGIN TO DIMINISH WELL OFFSHORE BY LATE SAT NIGHT AND INTO EARLY
SUN. BY LATE SUN AFT A WEAK RETURN FLOW DEVELOPS...BUILDING BY EARLY
MON IN RESPONSE TO THE ANOTHER COLD FRONT WHICH IS PROGGED TO MOVE
ACROSS THE MARINE AREA ON TUES. /32
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL NEED TO BE CLOSELY
MONITORED OVER THE WEEKEND AS DRY AIR MOVES IN BEHIND THE STRONG
COLD FRONT. AS A PRECAUTION...A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR
THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE ON SATURDAY FOR POSSIBLE RH VALUES
BELOW 35% FOR UP TO FIVE HOURS. /22
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MOBILE 67 35 59 33 / 90 0 0 0
PENSACOLA 67 38 59 35 / 90 0 0 0
DESTIN 67 42 57 36 / 90 0 0 0
EVERGREEN 64 35 54 30 / 90 0 0 0
WAYNESBORO 60 35 57 30 / 90 0 0 0
CAMDEN 63 35 54 30 / 90 0 0 0
&&
.MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY GMZ630-650-670.
FL...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY GMZ655-675.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM NOON SATURDAY TO 5 PM SATURDAY.
MS...NONE.
&&Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 13, 5:00 AM CST, 5 hours 1 minute before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 500 AM CST FRI JAN 13 2006 ALZ051>064-FLZ001>006-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-141200- BALDWIN COASTAL-BALDWIN INLAND-BUTLER-CHOCTAW-CLARKE-CONECUH- COVINGTON-CRENSHAW-ESCAMBIA-ESCAMBIA COASTAL-ESCAMBIA INLAND-GEORGE- GREENE-MOBILE COASTAL-MOBILE INLAND-MONROE-OKALOOSA COASTAL- OKALOOSA INLAND-PERRY-SANTA ROSA COASTAL-SANTA ROSA INLAND-STONE- WASHINGTON-WAYNE-WILCOX- 500 AM CST FRI JAN 13 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...INLAND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...AND THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. .DAY ONE...TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT... THE SEVERE STORMS CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS POSTED A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT FOR SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY. A FAST MOVING COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY GENERATE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOSTLY IN THE FORM OF A SQUALL LINE...BEGINNING OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI BY AROUND SUNRISE THIS MORNING...THEN MOVING QUICKLY EAST ACROSS SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE MAIN THREAT WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BE STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. STAY TUNED FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES AND WARNINGS BEGINNING LATER THIS MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED BY LATE MONDAY AND CONTINUING INTO EARLY TUESDAY AS ANOTHER STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. AT THIS TIME NO SEVERE WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND STORM SPOTTERS FOR SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jan 13, 6:57 AM CST, 3 hours 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 657 AM CST FRI JAN 13 2006 ALZ051>053-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-131400- WASHINGTON-CLARKE-CHOCTAW-GEORGE-STONE-PERRY-GREENE-WAYNE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHATOM...LEAKESVILLE...LUCEDALE...NEW AUGUSTA...WAYNESBORO AND WIGGINS... 657 AM CST FRI JAN 13 2006 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING INTO WASHINGTON... CLARKE...CHOCTAW...GEORGE...STONE...PERRY...GREENE AND WAYNE COUNTIES... AT 655 AM CST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WOODWARDS TO 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF TEN MILE...AND MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. THE LINE OF STORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND AROUND... WIGGINS...TEN MILE...GRETNA...WINCHESTER...AQUILLA...ISNEY...SILAS AND BOLINGER THROUGH 800 AM CST. THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THESE STORMS ARE SMALL HAIL...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING... AND WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH...WHICH COULD DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS OR BRANCHES AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE HOME OR BUILDING UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED. STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER UPDATES THIS MORNING.
The surface observations
Evergreen (GZH), 7 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Mobile radar (KMOB), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 15:59 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2006 tornado in AlabamaEvery tornado in Alabama since 1950Warnings in force in Alabama nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of January 13, 2006
14 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 13 | 4:20 AM CST | F1 | Concordia Parish, LA | 2.0 | 100 | 1 | $450,000 | |
| January 13 | 10:41 AM CST | F0 | Okaloosa, FL | 4.0 | 50 | 13 | $2.0 million | |
| January 13 | 10:56 AM CST | F1 | Santa Rosa, FL | 0.8 | 75 | $500,000 | ||
| January 13 | 12:00 PM CST | F0 | Dale, AL | 1.0 | 50 | $500,000 | ||
| January 13 | 12:20 PM CST | F0 | Barbour, AL | 8.5 | 100 | 1 | $250,000 | |
| January 13 | 12:45 PM CST | F0 | Henry, AL | 0.2 | 50 | $100,000 | ||
| January 13 | 4:15 PM EST | F1 | Colquitt, GA | 9.6 | 100 | 1 | $2.0 million | |
| January 13 | 5:18 PM EST | F0 | Lexington, SC | 0.2 | 40 | |||
| January 13 | 8:00 PM EST | F0 | Bamberg, SC | 0.1 | 40 | |||
| January 13 | 8:06 PM EST | F1 | Gaston, NC | 0.5 | 100 | $350,000 | ||
| January 13 | 8:25 PM EST | F0 | Orangeburg, SC | 0.3 | 50 | |||
| January 13 | 8:30 PM EST | F0 | Camden, GA | 0.1 | 0 | $200,000 | ||
| January 13 | 9:02 PM EST | F0 | Orangeburg, SC | 0.3 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| January 13 | 9:35 PM EST | F1 | Clarendon, SC | 6.0 | 440 | 18 | $500,000 |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.